Reinsman Andy Shetler hit 2,000 career victories on Tuesday, Sept. 9 at The Red Mile, while Matthew Wilson reached the winner's circle for the first time as a trainer.

In the second race, Shetler placed the sophomore gelding Caviart Shetland in sixth through fractions of :27.1, :55.1, and 1:23.4 and kept him on the pylons all the way around the last turn. He then drifted him to the outside in the stretch, and Caviart Shetland found a seam before battling past three foes to win by 1-3/4 lengths in 1:53. Tellrosetogetready (Ernie Hendry) finished second over Blaz N Chip (Jamaal Denson). The winner, a son of Jk Endofanera-Caviart Sunkist, is now two-for-26 for trainer James Stiltner and owner Dr. E. Ward. 

Shetler has been involved in the sport for more than three decades. The Harrodsburg, Ky. resident has amassed earnings of $15.2 million from 19,258 starts in the sulky. A fixture in the Midwest, Shetler possesses 720 training wins from 5,234 starts. He has recorded $4.4 million in earnings in that capacity.

Wilson's maiden-breaking victory came with Marlboro Seelster, who sat fourth to the quarter in :27.3 before attempting a brush but was hung out by leading favourite Fools Rush In (Shetler). Those two duelled through :56.4 and 1:25.3 middle fractions until Marlboro Seelster took command coming off the last turn. Fools Rush In stuck with him down the lane, but Marlboro Seelster never wavered and completed the victory in 1:54, three-quarters of a length in front. Ithaca Hanover (Marvin Luna) was third. Geremy Bobbitt drove the winner, a seven-year-old Bettors Delight-Macapelo Rose gelding with 11 wins in 127 lifetime outings.

Wilson, a resident of Brandon, Miss., tallied his first career win in his third start with with Marlboro Seelster. He made his debut last year with Danish Diligence, who raced 13 times for the conditioner. Overall, Wilson is now 18-1-1-0 with $10,025 in earnings.

In Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) action, Date Night Hanover and Dame Good Time captured their respective $48,611 third legs for four-year-old female and male trotters.

The Melander brothers made it a successful endeavour as Mattias and Marcus were the human factors behind two-time Kentucky champion Date Night Hanover’s victory in 1:52.3 as the favourite in the six-horse mares contest. 

Second choice Black Velvet As (Dan Noble) went right to the front from post six and passed the first pole in :28.2 with Date Night Hanover in fourth from post two. Mattias Melander decided it was time to rev the engine prior to the half-mile marker and sent Date Night Hanover to take command prior to the midway point in :56.4. Black Velvet As was relegated to second but broke and was passed by Pizzelle (Andrew McCarthy) through three-quarters in 1:24.4. From there, it was all Date Night Hanover as her rivals were unable to reel her in, and she prevailed by 1-3/4 lengths over Pizzelle. Danger (Robert Taylor) completed the ticket.

Bred by Hanover Shoe Farms, Date Night Hanover is a daughter of Chapter Seven-Dont Wait Up. The mare is owned by Jeffrey Snyder and ONDA Racing Stable LLC,. Date Night Hanover won her second race from nine starts in 2025. Her overall record is 37-11-3-6 and she has earned $1,080,262 in purse money. The mare provided her supporters with $3.38 to win.

Second selection Dame Good Time, driven by Dave Miller, took his first win of the season in 1:53.1 in the KYSS horses-and-geldings contest.

Assigned post three in the field of five, Dame Good Time went straight to the lead. The son of Chapter Seven-Dame Du Lac set splits of :28.3, :56.3, and 1:25.3 prior to facing an advancing Benny J (Andrew McCarthy), who overhauled the gelding in the lane. Benny J, however, did not stay flat on the lead, joining favourite Vic Zelenskyy (Mattias Melander) and third-choice Splendid (Todd McCarthy) as those who broke stride. That left Dame Good Time to trot home to a 1-1/4-length victory over Mister Dad (Noble), with Benny J third.

Trained by Rene Sejthen, Dame Good Time rebounded from a break and eighth-place finish in the second leg of this series last month. The defending Kentucky champion’s career record is 24-8-2-3. He has banked $796,159. Dame Good Time competes as a homebred for John Cummins, and this was his second start for his new conditioner. The gelding paid $6.22 to win. 

There were also five $13,889 divisions of the Kentucky Wildcat Series fifth round for two-year-old fillies.

Todd McCarthy and Respect N Honor ($3.10) won the first division for trotters in 1:56.3 for trainer Nifty Norman. Brattitude ($6.08) provided Todd McCarthy with his second stakes victory of the day in the second trot division in 1:55.3 for trainer Carter Pinske. Trainer Noel Daley and driver Niko Karna were winners with favoured Laurens Chapter ($5.46) in the third group in 1:56.4. 

Bradley Chisholm and Jk Sassy Lady ($3.26) reigned supreme in the first division for pacers in 1:52.2 for Brett Pelling. Groove ($8.28) and Noble took the second split for pacing fillies in 1:55.1 for Brian Brown. 

(With files from The Red Mile; photo of Caviart Shetland winning on Sept. 9)